Here in Round 8, two So Cal fan favorites were fighting for survival!  Wilson Tsang has made four  YCS Top 32’s in the past, while Ed Acepcion is striving for his first Top after a near-miss on the bubble at YCS Anaheim.

Fun fact?  Acepcion pulled three copies of Witch of the Black Forest.

Tsang started us off with a hand of Forbidden Lance; Witch of the Black Forest; Chainsaw Insect; Harpie’s Feather Duster; Fortress Warrior; and D.D. Assailant.  He Set Witch.

Acepcion Set a monster.

Tsang drew Blue Thunder T-45!

“I hate that card!” laughed Acepcion.  Blue Thunder attacked, and Acepcion ALSO had a Witch of the Black Forest face-down!  He added Insect Knight to his hand, while Tsang Special Summoned a Thunder Option Token to attack for 1500 Battle Damage.  He Set Lance.

Acepcion Summoned the Knight, and swung straight into Lance!  Acepcion dropped Hedge Guard to save his monster and keep Tsang from getting another Token.  He strapped the Knight with Axe of Despair and ended.

Tsang drew Gogogo Golem and Summoned D.D. Assailant, running it into Insect Knight to banish it and eliminate Axe of Despair.  Blue Thunder and the Thunder Option Token both made direct attacks, dropping Acepcion to 1850 Life Points.  Tsang set Harpie’s Feather Duster as a bluff.

Acepcion discarded Card Trooper for Tribute to the Doomed, destroying Blue Thunder so he could Special Summon it with Autonomous Action Unit!  He ran over the opposing Thunder Option Token; Special Summoned one of his own; and then used it to attack Tsang’s Set Witch!

Tsang searched out Blast Sphere with Witch, and Acepcion Set a monster, then Set a back row.  It was all over a turn later as Tsang cleared away Autonomous Action Unit and Windstorm of Etaqua with Harpie’s Feather Duster, then attacked over the Thunder Option Token with Chainsaw Insect!  Acepcion immediately scooped his cards.

“I lost every Game 1 today,” remarked Acepcion.  “Literally every single one.”  If he couldn’t win these next two Duels, he’d be out of the tournament.

Acepcion started Game 2 with a Set monster.

Tsang had Grave Squirmer; Mysterious Guard; Witch of the Black Forest; D.D. Assailant; Luster Dragon; and Pitch-Black Warwolf.

Not alot of action there, so Tsang just Set Witch.

Acepcion Flip Summoned Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter: “Show me the Witch!”  Yup. Tsang searched his Deck for Blue Thunder T-45, as Acepcion sent Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Chiron the Mage, and another Ryko to his Graveyard.  Acepcion was about to see that Ryko get victimized by the Blue Thunder, so he Set two cards to his back row.

Tsang wasn’t buying it: He Summoned Blue Thunder T-45 anyways, and ran over the Ryko to get a Thunder Option Token!  The Token made a direct attack.

Play was back to Acepcion, who took Blue Thunder with Snatch Steal!  He Normal Summoned Slate Warrior and ran over Tsang’s Token with Blue Thunder, getting a Thunder Option Token of his own and making direct attacks with the Token and Slate Warrior.  Tsang was down to 4400 Life Points, while Acepcion still had 5000.  In Main Phase 2 Acepcion overlaid Slate Warrior and Blue Thunder for Number 39: Utopia, then Set a third card.

Tsang drew Amazoness Sage.  It was just monster after monster this Game.  He Set D.D. Assailant.

Acepcion Tributed his Thunder Option Token for Ambitious Gofer, blowing away D.D. Assailant and taking the second Duel with two direct attacks!  Acepcion looked skyward and breathed a sigh of relief: we were going to Game 3!

“That Blue Thunder T-45 has just been wrecking me all day,” commented Acepcion.

“It’s amazing.  I’ve won games entirely with just Blue Thunder,” replied Tsang.

“1700 is really big!”  Acepcion presented his Deck, and Tsang gave it a cut.  Game time.

Tsang opened Duel 3 with Witch of the Black Forest; Big Bang Shot; Forbidden Lance; D.D. Assailant; United We Stand; and Penguin Soldier.  He Set Witch.

Acepcion Set a monster.

Tsang drew Amazoness Sage and Set Penguin Soldier.

Acepcion Set a second monster.  Both Duelists were playing conservatively, neither wanting to blink first.

Tsang got Kunai With Chain and Flip Summoned Penguin Soldier, clearing Acepcion’s field!  He Flip Summoned Witched and attacked for 1850 Battle Damage, Setting Kunai With Chain.

Acepcion Set a monster, then Set two cards to his back row.

Tsang drew Mask of Darkness and Summoned Sage.  He turned Penguin to Defense Position, then attacked with Amazoness Sage: Acepcion’s face-down Witch of the Black Forest was destroyed, getting him Hedge Guard, and Sage’s effect destroyed his face-down Tribute to the Doomed.

Acepcion Summoned Chiron the Mage and attacked over Sage, leading Tsang to flip Kunai With Chain in the Damage Step to boost Sage by 500 ATK.  Acepcion had to pitch Hedge Guard to save his monster, dropping to 4050 Life Points.

Tsang got Miracle’s Wake.  He ran some numbers, eyeing his United We Stand, and equipped it to Sage.  He Set a monster: the Sage was at 5100 ATK!  Threatening another attack with Witch, Tsang had enough damage to take Acepcion out if his face-down couldn’t save him…

…Acepcion gave the handshake!  He revealed his face-down, a dead Interdimensional Matter Transporter – no help whatsoever!

Hometown hero Ed Acepcion is eliminated, and Wilson Tsang needs a win or a draw in Round 9 to get to the Constructed portion of the tournament tomorrow!